By Dan O’Farrell. Music is memory, as everyone knows. The power of that moment when you really fall in love with a song, album or band will guarantee that your brain magically transports you to that moment every time you subsequently hear it. That’s my only explanation as to...
Entertainment Reviews
Review: Los Bitchos, 1865, Southampton, 29 October 2024
By Vicky Greer. Southampton, late October. The clocks have just gone back and the daily grey skies offer little reason to leave your house. The antidote? Los Bitchos at The 1865, transporting you to sunnier climes with their unique blend of surf rock, cumbia and camp. It’s not a...
Review: Grease the Musical, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, 29 October 2024
By Catherine Collins. The world’s best-loved musical, Grease, opened at Mayflower Theatre last night to a auditorium of, what seemed to be, more pink ladies than people. Set in the 1959, Grease follows the story of leather-clad Danny and girl-next-door Sandy when they are unexpectedly reunited at Rydell High...
Review: Stone, The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, 27 October 2024
Words and photos by Rhona Murphy. There’s an under the radar rumbling of anticipation building for Liverpool’s Stone. Having built up a loyal following playing headline shows, support shows and festivals there’s no doubting their work ethic. Stone have toured almost without breaks in both mainland Europe as well...
Review: Citizen, Troxy London (Run For Cover Records), 25 October 2024
Words and photos by Rhona Murphy. The Grade 2 listed venue, Troxy, has hosted many different types of events since it started up in 1933 as a cinema. Since then it’s been home to the Royal Opera House (rehearsal space), and a bingo hall before morphing into live events...
Review: Millie Manders & the Shutup, 1865, Southampton, 25 October 2024
Words by Vicky Greer. Photos by Billy Perrett. It’s easy to feel like the music industry is broken. Hell, it’s easy to feel like the whole world is broken when you turn on the news. But every so often, there’s a voice that fights to prove you wrong. Millie Manders...
Review: Floella Benjamin’s Coming to England, MAST Southampton Studios
By Graham Hiley. Image: Mark Senior Floella Benjamin’s Coming to England. More specifically, Floella Benjamin’s Coming to Southampton. Again! Southampton was the young Floella’s first sight of England when she arrived here from Trinidad on the Marques de Comillas on September 2, 1960 – aged just 10. The now...
Review: Skating Polly, Ugly Ozo & Riteoff – The Joiners, Southampton
Words and pictures by Spring Wise. There was a lovely long queue of goth and goth-adjacent punters snaking by the Joiners, Southampton, on Sunday, which always warms my heart and hints at a good night about to be had. Opening the evening was local band, Riteoff, who had a...
Review: Lacuna Coil, Bournemouth Academy
Words and pictures by Billy Perrett. The energy for Lacuna Coil in Bournemouth last night was incredible (18/10/24). From the line outside until the very end of the show, everybody was so amped and ready for what was to come and rightfully so. Blind Channel kicked off the evening...
Review: Bastille Presents & – 1865, Southampton
Words by Sally Churchward. Photos by Bella Briscoe. There was something intimate, magical and raw about Bastille’s gig at Southampton’s 1865 last night (18/10/24). Obviously it was a much smaller venue than frontman Dan Smith typically plays with the band’s regular line up – who routinely sell out arenas...